Author | Lightnews

Ryan

@classicryan17.bsky.social

970 followers 400 following 550 posts

Car-Free in Houston, TX • Transportation Planner 🚌 🚲 🚈 🚶🏼 🌈 🚎 🚴🏻 The opinions expressed here are mine and not those of my employer or anyone I do contract work for.

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Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · Aug 19

August service change means time for a new map! This update includes changes to Community Connector service areas, the addition of curb2curb zones, and various fixes across the map.

Check out a higher-resolution version here: drive.google.com/file/d/1GY1E...

Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · 13h

Metro’s $4 million microtransit pilot has gone off the rails

Evolve Houston has ballooned into a multimillion-dollar operation with little transparency and no proof it’s working.

Metro’s $4 million microtransit pilot has gone off the rails

Evolve Houston has ballooned into a multimillion-dollar operation with little transparency and no proof it’s working.

www.houstonchronicle.com

Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · 1d

“But two months later, updated testing showed travel times had jumped from roughly 13 minutes to more than 21 minutes”

METRO’s Chief Signals Engineer says this “was a political decision, not a technical decision” and “ impacts to service and safety were not a consideration”

Exclusive: Houston slowed downtown trains for politics, not safety, emails show

Houston METRO says the retiming modernizes traffic management and improves bus-and-rail reliability, but one internal message called the move “a political decision.”

www.houstonchronicle.com

Reposted by Ryan

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 2d

“Since [Paris Mayor @annehidalgo.bsky.social took] office, Paris has planted over 200K trees with a pledge to add 170K more by 2026. Urban forests are being created near landmarks like the Hôtel de Ville, Gare de Lyon, & Opéra Garnier, with plans to cover 50% of the city with planted areas by 2030.“

Anne Hidalgo: Transforming Paris into a Green Metropolis for a Sustainable Future

Pic: Ms Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris (Source: ChatGPT)

medium.com

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Reposted by Ryan

Evan @evan7257.bsky.social · 2d

Texans get to vote on boring stuff. Why not abortion? Or THC? | Opinion

www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outl...

Texans get to vote on boring stuff. Why not abortion? Or THC?

In this election, you can vote on a constitutional amendment to lower taxes on animal feed. But not the issues you actually care about.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · 2d

The fact none of these operators have updated the seats is crazy!

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Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · 2d

Confirmed

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Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · 2d

It’s the exact same interior seats as Moscow’s Aeroexpress. I think some (or maybe all?) of Azerbaijan’s KISS trains were originally made for Aeroexpress

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Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · 4d

They even have double decker trains with cabs too!

Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · 5d

Good afternoon from the friendly skies

Reposted by Ryan

Flightradar24 @flightradar24.com · 5d

#HAL824 — the last flight to operate with the “HAWAIIAN” call sign — is about to land in Seattle. www.flightradar24.com/HAL824/3cdf3...

Flight path of HAL824 from Tokyo to Seattle.

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Reposted by Ryan

Jarrett Walker @humantransit.bsky.social · 5d

A Dallas suburb celebrates the opening of an expensive new rail line by threatening to withdraw from the transit agency that built it for them.

The Dallas Morning News @dallasnews.com · 5d

The future of the region’s rapid transit system could take a major hit when the Plano City Council holds a special session next week to consider a ballot measure to withdraw from Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

DART’s future in Plano in question as City Council considers vote to withdraw

The future of the region’s rapid transit system could take a major hit when the Plano City Council holds a special session next week to consider a ballot...

www.dallasnews.com

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Reposted by Ryan

Marco Chitti @chittimarco.bsky.social · 7d

I finally completed my second long form post dedicated to the problem of High Speed Rail and the city, or "who goes with whom in the puzzle of traffic separation around large urban areas?"

I hope you enjoy.

open.substack.com/pub/marcochi...

The High Speed Rail and the city - part 2

More tracks, but for whom? The case of the Bologna-Castel Bolognese fast quad-tracking and the problem of disentangling mixed traffic.

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Ryan

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 7d

An interesting investigation in @upshot.nytimes.com today evaluating some of the challenges to improving buses in NYC—whether through speed or fares www.nytimes.com/interactive/... (gift link!)

Interesting tidbit: Bus ridership is basically back to pre-pandemic levels—but fare payment is way down.

Ridership on New York City's bus system, showing share paying versus non-paying.

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Reposted by Ryan

Mid terms are November 3rd 2026. Go register voters. @usrbinr.bsky.social · 10d

Here is a payall free voter guide to the #houston election.

Everyone turn that anxiety and fear into energy!

www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/202...

Texas Voter Guide: Explore races and candidates in the Nov. 4 election

Search key Texas, Houston and Harris County races in the 2025 Nov. 4 election, including the race to fill Sylvester Turner's old seat.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · 9d

I learned lying is a sin from the 10 commandments we proudly display in every public school classroom. 😡

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Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · 9d

Abbott is deploying me to Portland for the week y’all. What should I do?

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Reposted by Ryan

RAIL Magazine @railmag.bsky.social · 10d

Happy @kcstreetcar.org Expansion Friday to all who celebrate! Stretching nearly 6 miles from the Riverfront to UMKC, the service has outperformed nearly every other modern streetcar operation in the U.S. on its initial route.🎉🚊

The KC Streetcar expansion opens Friday. Here’s how the city is celebrating

A two-day celebration happens along the streetcar route to mark the opening of the 3.5-mile expansion toward UMKC and the Country Club Plaza.

amp.kansascity.com

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Reposted by Ryan

Kenny Uong @kennyuong.bsky.social · 10d

Hey Rhode Island!! Excited for the public to review route options for @ripta.com’s High-Capacity Transit (Metro Connector) project! Potential light rail or bus rapid transit service linking Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, Cranston & Warwick! 🚆🚌⚓️

ripta.com/metroconnect...

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Reposted by Ryan

Evan @evan7257.bsky.social · 11d

President Trump, don't send $40 billion to Argentina.

Send it to Houston!

Think of the things we could do with that money. Balance the city budget. Build the Ike Dike. Construct the Westheimer subway line.

www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/edit...

If America comes first, Trump should send Argentina's $40 billion to Houston

Houston helps powers America. Imagine what we could do if Washington invested $40 billion here instead of Argentina.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Reposted by Ryan

QueensLink @queenslink.org · 11d

Earlier this month, NYC's Independent Budget Office (IBO), released a report on the Rockaway Beach Branch. Among it's findings, the top destinations for commuters along the abandoned line would be served by QueensLink. In the meantime, head to the 🔗 in bio to tell leaders to #BuildtheQueensLink !!

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Reposted by Ryan

The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 13d

EUROSTAR GOES DOUBLE-DECK:
Eurostar confirms order for 30 new double-deck trains from Alstom, similar to TGV-M, with option for 20 more, in service from May 2031. The 200m sets can run to/from London as 2 x 200m with 1,080 seats.
(Another move in the Battle for Temple Mills...)

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Ryan @classicryan17.bsky.social · 13d

In France they have one line that goes everywhere instead of 3 lines going the same place 🇫🇷 I understand their confusion 🤣

Reposted by Ryan

Edward Russell @byerussell.com · 14d

Brightline September numbers are out, departures were down 13% y/y for trainset reconfigurations.

Sept. '25: 227,851, up 11% y/y
Aug: 252,425
July: 255,472
June: 254,627
May: 256,633
April: 243,285
March: 280,003
Feb: 247,083
Jan: 266,346
Dec '24: 264,201
Nov: 246,563
Oct: 217,735
Sept: 205,479

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Reposted by Ryan

Office of Judge Lina Hidalgo @harriscojudge.bsky.social · 14d

Please see the statement from County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

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Reposted by Ryan

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 14d

Removal came after Texas Gov Abbott directed state DOT to withhold funds from localities if they did not remove "political ideologies" from roads.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire—who has torn up bus & bike lanes across the city—said Gov's order was "counterproductive" but that the city needed funds.

The Barbed Wire @thebarbedwire.com · 14d

A pile of broken, colorful concrete pieces was all that remained of Texas’ first gay pride crosswalk as the sun rose on Monday, along with a few messages from protestors: “we are lucky to witness queer love,” and “don’t erase us.”

thebarbedwire.com/2025/10/20/h...

Houston Erased Texas’ First-Ever Gay Pride Crosswalk in the Middle of the Night

Houston tore up the Montrose rainbow crosswalk last night, arresting three protestors who gathered at the intersection.

thebarbedwire.com

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